THE World of Labour

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 896, 23 December 1916, Page 12

THE World of Labour

TRADES AND LABOUR COUNCIL HALL, j MEETINGS FOB WEEK. SUNDAY—Christndelphiuns' Mission. 11 ! a.m.; Public Lecture in Social Hall, 7 p.m. MONDAY-Christmas Day (no meetings). I TUESDAY—Boxing Day (no meetings). WEDNESDAY—PubIic Lecture in Social Hall, 8 p.m. THL'BSDAY—Amalgamated Society or Engineers, No. 2 Brunch (special). FBlDAY—General Labourers' Finance Committee. ORGANISATION. AND CHRISTMAS GREETINGS. Mr F. Ellis, who has taken such an active and useful part in the work of consolidating trade unionism ini this country, has sent a letter to the Trades and Labour Council suggesting how 35 unions in Christchurch might be amalgamated into nine groups. Mr Ellis says:— Dear Sir, —All in the trade union movement are agreed that a better system of organisation is required. Many schemes have been submitted but have failed, because they have been too ambitious. It must be remembered that the movement is of gradual growth, the progress made is slow but sure, and any scheme .submitted to the rank and file must be of such a nature that a portion, if not the whole, can be accepted, and that in accepting a portion the scheme is still intact. Section 20 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1908, reads: "Whenever two or more industrial unions in the same industrial district connected with the same industry desire to amalgamate so as to form one union and carry out such desire by registering a new industrial union, the registrar shall place upon the certificate of registration of such new union a memorandum of the names of the unions whose registration is shown to his satisfaction to have been cancelled in consequence of such amalgamation and registration." In Canterbury 19 unions under this section have already amalgamated into six unions, and these amalgamated unions have extended their organisation to allied sections in preference to the formation of new unions.

Lor the purpose of illustrating what could be done, i! is only necessary to take the 1916 returns of registered unions. In Canterbury in all there are (>5 unions with a total membership of 985!. The enclosed list of 35 unions with a mrmbershin of 8379 taken from these returns will show what could be done in Canterbury ill the near future. Every one of the 35 unions could amalgamate into the nine groups named. Anyone who understands the movement will know thai it is impossible to attain such an ambitious scheme in i's entirety in 12 months, but stiV! there is our object, and a star! coal i be made with any two unions in a group. Slowly but surely if the idea is taken up the amalgamation scheme will spread. We would suggest to your council that you set up a committee for the purpose of furthering this idea by waiting on the unions named and to

A Column for Workers

call meetings of all the unions in each group for the purpose of ex- j plaining what could be accomplished ' if this scheme was carried out. Proposed Grouping. Mr Ellis suggests the following grouping:— ! group i. Bricklayers 103 Carpenters (Canterbury) .. 252 Carpenters (Amalgamated) .. 495 Sydenham Carpenters .. .. 83 Stone Masons : 'C> Painters I|]l I Plasterers 73 Plumbers and Gasflttcrs .. .. 04 1 •:.:'.•.) GROUP 2. Freezing Works, etc .. R|jl Fellmongers and Tanners .. 5"3 J Canterbury Slaughtermen .. _" ! Export Slaughtermen .. .. 2'"! 1."27 i GROUP 3. Agricultural and Pastoral \V!.rs. " "' Shearers "'•! Waimate Workers 3<V", 1 ("20 GI'OPP 1. Canterbury Cv'" Wc:-!:eri .. 31 rieetr'cnl \V<>rl:-rs :'■'> Engineers -" r ''* Eorrcrs ' 1 Moulders 110 Tins'"'!'"! ■•'•: S'—l "■'.■! Wo'"lf"'\s Boiler Val-rrs '''-'- R7l f.rOT'V 5. Print"'-.' Mac'rii's!.-. :rA Bonk-!)-,k1«-s <M res GV-OUP fi. P.fick. P-.tli :•••■ ansl C.lav Wkrs. °n Labourers, etc- ' .. .. 821 Gr.rd»ners 23 Gas Works K-ip!-\v.-cs .. .. 91 lira cr.oip 7. Tailors (ord«r .. .. -101 TaUoressrs (factory; .. .. 328 729 GBOCr 8. Curriers 14 Operative Bootmakers .. .. 400 Saddle and Harness Makers .. 50 ~464 GBOL'P 0. Wharf Labourers (railway) .. 105 Wharf Labourers 441' Grand Total 8389 Total: Christchurch . r >B. Total enumerated: 35. Advice to Unions. The unions would be doing themselves good service by giving careful and sympathetic consideration to the suggestions put forward by Mr Ellis. In thinking over the failure of Labour in Ibis country to achieve any powerful form of organ-' isation I have been casting round for a cause, and have come to the rouclusl-m loal ii ties in the absence lof thai s-.iii! '■.vhich mitiht be de- | ■;'•'•■,),((| ; , s till.—.•live self-reliance. ".'.';)', k'mg v, •■■ in this country have leaned '' <> mmh upon the GovernI rent ■.■•■ t '.;■' i !';o Arbitration Act i ; nsi"ad • !' ..-el:i;--<; busy on enterIjvi.ses of tb; ir own. In Great BriM'in and America all binds of working men's associations exist which are designed io the end of labour working out its own salvation. Here ! iii New Zealand, however, so much i .vr.s obtained from the Seddon regime, and from the Arbitration Court !hat the workers have contracted 'be habit of reiving entirely on Government and on the court. Until the workers throw o'.T this spirit and levelop more self-reliance, and initiative in ike direction of establish-

ing co-operative enterprises and similar institutions, they will accomplish little. The remedy lies in a change of spirit on the part of the individual workers, who must be prepared to give more thought, time, and labour to the work of uplifting their class. War Time Inopportune. Not much of course can be done during the period of the war, as the task which the nation has on hand, of winning pence with honour and security from future aggression is sufficient to absorb the energies of at classes "in the Slate. But if the workers will get the idea of self reliance, self help, reflect upon it, study what has been accomplished by British, American, and European workers, then, when the war is over, and peace has once more come to the war-warn world, bringing with it increased prestige and honour to our country, the workers may be ready to embark upon a new career of self reliant social advancement. Christinas Greetings. Ami now at the cud of another year, I wish to tender to my readers the compliments of the season, fn the state of the world to-day it is impossible that any one can be really happy. Not many working class families have entirely escaped the war horrors and anxieties of the past year, and even greater suffering ami sacrifice may confront them in the future. But these dark days will assuredly pass, and maybe before another Christmas comes round, the cannon will have ceased to roar, absent ones will have returned, peace with honour won, and Labour entered upon its great task of helping to recreate civilisation upon a basis of real international fraternity. With all my heart I wish that it may be so.